GenreType or category of literature.

Drama: tragedy, comedy, farce... Poetry: narrative, epic, lyric...

Prose: fiction and nonfiction

Fiction

Writing that tells about imaginary characters

and events.

Non-fiction

Writing that explains ideas or that tells about real people, places,

and events.

CharacterizationCreating and developing

a character.

Direct: writer states the character's traitsIndirect: writer depends on the reader to draw conclusions

Major (main) character : Most important; the focus of the

story, well developed.Minor character : Takes part in the action, but is not the focus; less important and less developed.

Static CharacterA character that does NOT change

from beginning to end.

−If they are good in the beginning, they will be good in the end.−

−If they are mean in the beginning, they will be mean in the end.

Dynamic CharacterA character that changes significantly

from beginning to end.

−If they are “bad” in the beginning, they may change to be “good” in the end.−

−This can go both ways!

Flat vs. Round Characters

•

Flat: one-sided character,often stereotypical

Round: fully developed andexhibits many traits (good and bad!)

Setting

The time and place of the action.

Point of ViewPerspective from which

a story is told.

1st person: told by a character in the story (I, me, we)

3rd person: told by a voice outside the story (he, she, it, they)

−Omniscient: narrator knows and tells about what each character thinks and feels.−

−Limited: Narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only ONE character, and everything is viewed from this character's perspective.

There are two kinds of 3rd person point of view

Draw this Picture!

Rising action

Climax

Resolution

Falling action

Exposition

Inciting Incident

PlotA series of related events that

make up a story. −Involves characters and a central conflict.

−What happens 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

ExpositionIntroduces the characters,

setting, and the basic situation.

Inciting Incident: point in which the conflict is introduced

Rising Action(Development)

Events in a story that move

the plot forward.

ClimaxThe point of highest interest

or suspense.

−Ah-ha moment where everything becomes clear!

Falling ActionPart of the story that occursafter the climax where theconflict begins to resolve.

ResolutionHow the story ends...are all

conflicts resolved?Note: sometimes the falling action

and resolution are combined.

Denouement is a French word that literally means the action of untying

ConflictStruggle between opposing forces

(problem or issue)

−INTERNAL: a character struggles with themselves (inside).

−EXTERNAL: a character struggles against another person or an outside force.

Theme(Central Idea)

A message, concern, or purposeof a literary work.

−Stated: theme is directly expressed

−Implied: theme is suggested

Tone

The writer’s attitude toward his/her audience and subject.

-Often described by a single adjective: formal, serious, playful…

Dialogue

A conversation between characters.

-Usually set off by quotation marks to indicate a speaker’s exact words.

Mood

The feeling created in a reader by a piece of writing.

-Writers will use imagery, word choice, and descriptive details.

Symbol

Anything that stands for or represents something else.

Foreshadowing

The author’s use of clues to hint at what might happen later in

the story.

-Authors use foreshadowing to create suspense!

IronyA contradiction between what

happens and what is expected.Example: “Isn’t it Ironic” by Alannis Morissette

-Situational: when something happens…-Verbal: when something is said…

-Dramatic: when the audience knows something the characters do not.

An old man turned ninety-eightHe won the lottery and died the next dayIt's a black fly in your ChardonnayIt's a death row pardon two minutes too lateIsn't it ironic, don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding dayIt's a free ride when you've already paidIt's the good advice that you just didn't takeWho would've thought, it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to flyHe packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-byeHe waited his whole damn life to take that flightAnd as the plane crashed down he thought"Well, isn't this nice."And isn't it ironic, l don't you think